Seriki Adinoyi in Jos
Three days after a meeting to broker peace between the natives and Fulani herdsmen in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State was convened at the instance of the state Peace Building Agency, a community leader and two of his subjects have been killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders.
Following previous persistent clashes in the local government area especially between the Irigwes and the Fulani, the Peace Building Agency in the state last Saturday organised a peace parley with the stakeholders in the council on the need to live in harmony. The two groups agreed to live in peace with each other after the meeting.
But yesterday morning, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen pounced on some farmers at Hukke village and killed a community leader identified as Elder Musa Yelvuh, and Mrs. Ladi Wuh and Mrs. Laraba Audu, who were working in their farms. Four other persons escaped with various degrees of injuries.
Spokesman of Miango Youth Development Association, Mr. Lawrence Zongo, said investigations revealed that those who carried out the attack were Fulani herdsmen from the neighbouring village, adding that the latest attack was a surprise to the people of the local government area considering the recent peace meeting held.
Also speaking, the National President Irigwe Development Association, Hon. Sunday Abdul, said the attack clearly portrayed that the herdsmen did not want peace, adding that with the meeting convened by the Peace Building Agency last Saturday, it was least expected that another killing would take place three days after.
He said; “These people don’t want peace; anytime there is move for reconciliation and peace, they strike. We have become their prey, they bounce on us any time they want, and their plan is to dislodge us from our ancestral land. But one thing is certain, we cannot become slaves in our own land.”
Reacting to the incident, Director General of the state Peace Building Agency, Mr. Joseph Lengmang, who strongly condemned the killings, said the latest attack, in spite of the Saturday peace meeting held in the area, was a ploy by merchant of violence to re-ignite clashes in the local government area.
He said: “It is a condemnable act; we are devoted to peace building in this state. Though there are peace spoilers among us, their act would not deter us from pursuing peace. The plan of this set of people is to undo whatever we are doing to promote peace.
“However, we will not be deterred because our target is peace. All those who cherish peace must team up with the agency, as we are determined more than before regardless of what is happening. What happened is discouraging but we are not going to relent.”
Meanwhile, the state Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), Mallam Mohammadu Nura, has said he was not aware of any incident in Bassa.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mathias Terna Tyopev, could not be reached on phone for confirmation.
